In 'Defamation,' there's a judge, there's a case, you're the jury

Doug George, Chicago Tribune reporter

You could call a "Defamation" a courtroom drama, or you could say it starts with a courtroom drama.

A professional African-American woman from the South Side of Chicago is suing a Jewish real estate developer, who has accused her of stealing a valuable watch from his home after inviting her there for a business meeting. She is the plaintiff in the civil case, accusing him of defamation. Who is guilty, and of what? The play, by Evanston playwright Todd Logan ("Botanic Garden") and produced by his Canamac Productions company, presents all the evidence and testimony of both sides, but does not reach a verdict — which is not to say that a verdict is not reached. You do. Reach it, the verdict, that is.

Furthermore, all this could be playing out in your own living room — or company conference center or high school auditorium.

"Defamation" is a play for hire – this fall, its third season, a number of schools, churches and organizations such as the Beverly Arts Center have booked appearances by the production, which shows up with a few spare props and a cast of six. Equity actor Malcolm Rothman plays the judge in the courtroom; Stacie Doublin is the plaintiff; Richard Shavzin is the defendant as well as the show's director.

The drama of the court case lasts for 75 minutes — and some poetic license aside, it tries to replicate an actual court of law — after which the tables are turned and the audience becomes the jury. Rothman then becomes a moderator in an open-to-everyone debate over issues of race, religion, wealth, class, and the law. Opinions are aired, nerves are stepped on, and in the end, there's a show of hands and that evening's verdict is reached.

"People really deliberate in earnest," says Logan, who attends the shows and conducts post-verdict discussions. "And you know, we all carry those imperfect biases; it's interesting how those are revealed."

For instance: The fact that the plaintiff lives on the wealthy North Shore can be touchier than the race of the defendant.

"I remember asking one group, 'If I had made it so he was from Morton Grove, not Winnetka, would you have voted differently?' And they said, 'Yeah, you know, we might have."

Several upcoming performances of "Defamation" are open to the public; October dates and more information at defamationtheplay.com